


If I

by Syenya



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Light Angst, M/M, Summer Romance, gendered slurs, vague homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8168608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syenya/pseuds/Syenya
Summary: “Trust me, okay?”Chanyeol laughed. “Of course I trust you.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Imported from LiveJournal

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol was leaning against the porch rail, sipping the wine that Jongin had forced into his hand that actually turned out to be quite good, watching the sunset over the lake, the deep orange disc staining the sky as it slipped neatly into the crease between the mountains.

He could hear his friends moving inside the house, behind him. Jongin was singing as he helped his sisters crumb pork and Kris' expensive shoes clopped across the wood floor.

Chanyeol tried to name the shade that the sun was dyeing the clouds while he pondered the time when 'Jongin's Chinese Cousin' became 'His Friend, Kris'. There wasn't a distinct day, he decided. It had been a slow, gradual process — Jongin's Chinese Cousin to Jongin's Cousin Kris. He had become Kris somewhere between that time and the time when Chanyeol had asked him his real, Chinese name.

“Duizhang,” Kris had replied.

So for a short time he had become Duizhang in Chanyeol's mind, until he'd blurted out the name in front of Jongin's dancer friend Yixing, who'd burst out laughing and demanded (eventually, between hiccups) why Kris would trick the poor Korean into calling him 'leader'.

He had reverted to Kris after that, because apparently 'Oopan' was not an acceptable attempt at 'Wu Fan', in Kris' opinion.

“What do you think about,” Kris asked, slipping his arms over the rail beside him, “That makes you smile like that?”

“You,” Chanyeol replied easily, biting his tongue as it poked out of his mouth. Kris blinked, as though he wasn't sure if he should feel complimented or offended. Chanyeol flipped his glass stem over his finger, holding it by the base. Pale droplets skimmed over the rim before dripping to the grass below.

“Why'd you move back to Korea?” Chanyeol asked as the sun finally disappeared beneath the Canadian landscape.

Kris didn't reply and Chanyeol glanced over, watching the clean air play with Kris' hair and the faint curve to his lips. He waited for an answer, but something about the distraction in Kris' eyes told him he would not get one.

“Chanyeol.” Kris uttered when Chanyeol had turned back to the sky, having given up on a response.

“Yeah?” his head whipped back to face Kris, eyes widened in curiosity.

“Trust me, okay?”

Chanyeol laughed. “Of course I trust you.”

“Really.”

Chanyeol smiled and nodded, looking at the man before him. Jongin's Chinese Cousin. The man who had lied about his name. His friend. Kris. “I do.”

Kris smiled at the now-dark mountains and lake, ruffled Chanyeol's hair and then turned to go back inside without another word. Chanyeol fixed his bangs and grumbled quietly to himself before he also turned to follow, his expression falling into the smile he used when he talked to Jongin's sisters so that they fed him and pinched his cheeks.

*

“Yah.” Jongin barged into Chanyeol's room and threw a pair of swimming shorts in his face. Chanyeol jerked and flailed, tearing the pants off his face gracelessly as though they were attacking him, staring wide-eyed at Jongin when his line of sight was clear. “Let's go swimming,” Jongin finished, leaning against the doorframe in his own swimmers. A vertical line of chest and abs showed from between the edges of his unbuttoned summer jacket.

“Swimming?” Chanyeol repeated dumbly.

“In the lake,” Jongin elaborated dryly.

“You can swim in the lake?” Chanyeol's eyes widened even further and his eyebrows rose.

“Apparently. Kris says so.”

“Kris is going swimming?” Chanyeol almost shrieked, sitting bolt upright on his bed.

“Is it that surprising?” Kris' deep voice intoned as he appeared behind Jongin, his bangs pushed back by a headband, bare-chested except for a towel slung around his neck and wearing flip-flops.

Chanyeol's mouth fell open and he raised a hand, pointing in shock while his jaw moved up and down slightly. Jongin snorted and turned away while Kris' eyebrows shifted down in confusion and irritation. “What?”

“You… I… you… hair… shoes… _skin,_ ” Chanyeol managed to splutter.

Kris glanced at Jongin, who spluttered out suppressed laughter under his gaze. “Huh?”

“Nothing.” Jongin choked. “Come on, Chanyeol. Let's see if we can push Duizhang in,” he added in a stage whisper. Kris rolled his eyes as he and Jongin left Chanyeol to change his pants alone. Chanyeol tore off his clothes and quickly pulled the swimmers on, running out to join his friends as soon as he'd finished. Jongin tossed him a towel and Chanyeol ran into his plastic shoes as he followed them out the door.

The lake was about five minutes' walk from the house. Chanyeol half-ran, half tripped, Jongin jogged after him with his dancer's grace and Kris tutted internally at them as he followed with natural elegance. There was no sand at the bank of the lake, just expanses of rock that hung over the edge. The three of them dropped their towels and shoes on one large, flat rock and toed their bare-footed way to the water.

Chanyeol glanced at Kris, who suddenly grinned. Chanyeol raised his eyebrows as he smiled back, somewhat confusedly; Kris gestured at him and Chanyeol remained utterly lost until Kris quietly advanced on Jongin.

Kris grabbed Jongin by the ankles and Chanyeol suddenly caught on, grabbing the youngest man under the arms before his head cracked on the rock they were standing on. Jongin screamed and Chanyeol, although he was used to Jongin's swearing, had never before heard the fluency of the stream of obscenities that were flowing from his cousin's lips as he thrashed in their grip.

“One,” Kris grunted, trying to keep Jongin's legs under control.

“Don't you dare you motherfucking sons of bitches if you are even thinking about what I think you're thinking—!”

“Two…”

“ _Fucking let me the fuck go you fucking cunt bastards or I will tear your sorry asses to pieces so fucking help me—!_ ”

“Three, go!”

Kris and Chanyeol let go and Jongin was launched, screaming, into the lake. There was something aesthetically pleasing about the arc in which he flew, thrashing limbs, ungodly shriek and all. The water from his splash rose prettily around the place he vanished.

He surfaced a moment later, spluttering for air before resuming his string of curses. Chanyeol cackled raucously, eye twitching with his hands moving to clap but never meeting, and Kris chuckled, leaning on his knees.

Chanyeol's eyes sparked with an idea and he crept forward, arriving right behind Kris and planting his hands firmly on his shoulder blades. Kris barely had time for his eyes to widen before he was shoved forcefully, but he did have enough time to spin as he fell, capturing Chanyeol's wrist in a death grip. Chanyeol yelped as he stumbled forward to the edge of the rock, falling in after Kris with a heavy, dull splash. Lake water ran into his nose and mouth, one ankle crashed against the stone and the other rammed into a bony part of Kris' body, his knee perhaps, or his hip. He flailed in the water, emerging to level with Kris' and Jongin's heads, spluttering out water.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” He whined, using one hand to massage both his anklebones while treading water with the other arm and pouting at Kris who swam backwards out of the way defiantly. He reached up and fixed his headband, holding wet locks out of his face.

“You alright, Chanyeol?” Kris asked when he was well out of arm's reach.

Chanyeol pouted, letting go of his ankles. The sting was already beginning to fade, but his eyes widened. “Better than you're about to be,” he said, scrambling for the shore as Jongin, eyes full of murder, launched himself at and onto Kris' head. He sat on the rock, laughing as they fought until Jongin calmed down and their fight turned into play. Only then did he slide back into the water to join them.

“Chanyeol, you really have no co-ordination,” Jongin commented dryly as Chanyeol splashed up to them gracelessly.

Chanyeol pouted again, gesturing at the metres between them and the shore. “I got this far!”

“Just,” Kris interjected as he found himself wrapped in lanky Korean attempting to clamber onto his shoulders. He rolled his eyes as Chanyeol accidentally kicked him in the head twice and the chest several times in his attempts to stay upright.

“Ugh.” Jongin brought his arms together to propel himself backward. “You guys and your flirting make me sick.”

The other two laughed and Chanyeol hugged Kris' head exaggeratedly, stroking his cheek. Jongin pretended to gag and Kris put up with the caresses for a few seconds before grabbing Chanyeol by the knees and flipping him off backward into the water.

Jongin wasn't sure how to describe the noise that emerged from Chanyeol as he fell, but he would have paid to hear it again.

The girls joined them an hour later and Jongin waved at them as they approached, sending his friends death glares because Flirting With Jongin's Sisters was one of those things that was Strictly Forbidden. Not that either of them had tried (excepting the way that Kris tended to charm everyone the first time he met them), but it never hurt to be careful, Jongin thought.

*

Jongin returned to the house alongside his sisters, and Kris walked behind with Chanyeol. Their eyes met briefly, strangely, once; but then Chanyeol tripped over a rock and the moment was gone. There was no point in talking about something as trivial as an awkward glance, particularly over the obnoxious sound of Jongin's chortling.

Besides, there were some things it was better to not bring up, Chanyeol thought.

*

“You're doing it again.”

“What?”

“The smiling thing.”

“Happy Virus, remember? I'm always smiling.”

Kris pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Yeah, you are,” he agreed, shoving the back of Chanyeol's head playfully.

Chanyeol crossed his arms as he turned to look at the older man. “Should I not? Should I be more serious?” he raised one eyebrow and lowered the other as his face contorted into something he clearly thought was meant to be solemn and haughty.

Kris stared.

Chanyeol's eye twitched.

Kris burst out laughing and Chanyeol's face untwisted itself, returning to its overly large grin. It was impossible to pretend to be serious, or keep a straight face, when Kris was laughing.

“Guys!” Jongin yelled from the verandah. “Quit flirting and come set the table.”

“You're just jealous!” Chanyeol yelled back, rubbing his cheek against Kris' and clinging to his arm.

“Ew,” Jongin stated simply, and went back inside.

“You can stop now,” said Kris.

“Your cheek is so soft,” Chanyeol said in awe.

*

Chanyeol jerked awake at the violent buzzing of his phone, and promptly fell out of bed in his flailing attempt to grab it. He scrabbled up the side of the nightstand and picked it up, rolling onto his stomach as he answered.

“Hello?” he whispered, so as not to wake Jongin in the next room.

“Chanyeol? Are you awake?”

“Yes,” Chanyeol said. It wasn't a lie. Anymore.

“Put some clothes on and meet me outside.”

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow and pretended it was more elegant a gesture than he knew it was. “Yes, Duizhang.”

“Cool.” Kris hung up and Chanyeol stared at his phone for a moment before he scrambled to his feet and pulled on some jeans. He left his phone on the bed and quietly tip-toed out of the room, onto the verandah where Kris was waiting.

“Kris?” he whispered as he shut the door and walked into his sandals.

Kris turned around and stared at him thoughtfully, beckoning with his head after a moment. “Come with me.”

Chanyeol nodded, following without question. Kris pushed his hands into his pockets, the cool summer breeze ruffling his unstyled hair and mercilessly blowing Chanyeol's curls into his face. They arrived at the lake's edge.

“Wow,” Chanyeol breathed, and Kris smiled.

The air hung almost tentatively over the surface of the lake, glittering with the reflection of stars. The moon glowed serenely in the sky, the trees rustled calmly, the water lapped at the rocks at its edge.

“Wow,” Chanyeol said again, and felt Kris' arm slide around his shoulders, warm and heavy.

Chanyeol turned to look at him and froze when their eyes met.

He could have lost himself in that gaze. He hadn't seen that look on Kris' face before, gentle, thoughtful, loving, hesitant. He willingly accepted that he liked it, he wanted it. But he couldn't move. He could feel the warmth of Kris' palm on his shoulder. And he wanted it so much.

“Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol's tongue darted out to wet his lips. “Yes?”

Kris' hands were easily the size of Chanyeol's face and the one not resting on Chanyeol's shoulder came up to cup his cheek. His fingertips brushed the skin behind Chanyeol's ear and Chanyeol instinctively leant into the touch, his eyes still fixed on Kris'.

“Trust me,” Kris whispered as he leaned in and gently pressed their lips together.

Chanyeol closed his eyes and his hands came up to wrap around Kris' chest. They turned so their bodies were facing, noses aligned. I do, Chanyeol wanted to say, but the words could wait. For now, he just needed Kris to stay right where he was. His fingers curled into Kris' shirt. Kris tilted his head slightly to the right and his lips massaged Chanyeol's at a different angle.

Chanyeol's heart was about to beat right out of his body and float away.

Kris pressed his hand more firmly against Chanyeol's cheek and angled his head upward, kissing him like he needed to. Chanyeol tightened his arms around Kris' waist, pressing one hand into the small of his back, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

They didn't know how long they kissed, how long they stood there, addicted to proximity, hooked on each other's presence, intoxicated by each other's taste.

But it seemed too soon when Kris slid his hand into Chanyeol's and pulled away, smiling gently as he tugged him back towards the house. It was too soon that they arrived at the door and slipped inside, it was too short that their lips met before Chanyeol returned to one room and Kris to another. And it was too long that it took for Chanyeol to fall asleep, thick hours of dark, early morning weighing down on his mind.

*

He awoke in terror, horrified that it had been a dream; until he spied his jeans crumpled on the floor and found his phone tangled in his blankets since he had forgotten to move it when he had gone to bed after returning. He drew his knees up and buried his face in them, wondering whether to laugh or cry.

He could still feel Kris' lips.

*

The day was too hot, and the Kims retreated for a siesta, hiding in their rooms beneath the fans.

“Come with me,” Kris smiled.

Chanyeol went.

Neither of them were particularly sensitive to the heat.

They walked around the lake, hand-in-hand, keeping to the shadow of the trees. Chanyeol swung his arm, pulling Kris' hand forward and back in a wide arc, and Kris smiled, hair fluttering in the breeze. They found a rock in the shade and sat by the water, dipping their toes in the lake. Chanyeol's head found a spot at the base of Kris' neck. His hair found Kris' upper lip, and Kris brushed it away, fingers trailing down Chanyeol's cheek as they fell back to his side.

Chanyeol looked up, one eye squinting against the sun. Kris looked back down at him and leaned in.

Chanyeol tipped his chin up to meet him, eager for another taste of Kris' kiss. The Chinese man had his weight propped on one arm, hand resting on the rock behind Chanyeol, the other pressed to Chanyeol's hip.

Chanyeol closed his eyes, losing himself in the caresses of Kris' lips. His heart was going to beat right out of his chest, he was sure. He needed this moment to go on forever.

And then Kris shifted his weight, taking his face in both hands, and his kiss turned firmer, more heated. Chanyeol let out a small noise then returned the new kiss, burying his fingers in Kris' hair. He pressed his nose into Kris' cheek, lost his thoughts to Kris' hands on his skin.

Kris pulled away for a moment, Chanyeol's lower lip following him for a second, caught between his teeth. He let out a sigh, and Chanyeol thought it sounded sad; but he didn't have time to comment before Kris was kissing him again, and again, and nothing else mattered except that he wanted Chanyeol as much as Chanyeol wanted him. And he held Chanyeol's face like it was precious, sliding his fingers into the soft hair at the nape of Chanyeol's neck.

“Chanyeol,” Kris breathed, and Chanyeol's hands pressed harder against Kris' scalp. “Chanyeol, if I…” he chewed his own lip and looked away, and Chanyeol felt a pang of horror.

“If you what?”

“Nothing it… it's just… never mind. Don't worry about it.”

“Kris…” Chanyeol stared into Kris' face intensely. “Kris, tell me.”

Kris removed his hands from Chanyeol's face and tangled their fingers together instead. “If I… come back here one day… can you… would you… wait…”

Chanyeol looked back at him, frozen solid. “Wait…?”

Kris pulled his hands away and buried his face in them. “Chanyeol…”

Chanyeol's heart was thumping. Things were going to change when they went back to Korea next week. That was what Kris meant. Things were going to change, and that's why Kris chose here, and now, and Chanyeol was so upset — how dare Kris give him all of this, these beautiful feelings, these beautiful memories, only to take them away at home. It was the definition of a summer fling and Chanyeol _hated_ it.

He nudged Kris' hands away from his face and kissed him, lightly, lingeringly.

“Chanyeol…”

“Don't,” Chanyeol hissed, “Speak.”

Chanyeol laid his hand against the back of Kris' head, lowering him to the rock and crouching over him. He didn't kiss him, just ducked his head and pressed his nose and eyes to Kris' throat.

Kris gently stroked the back of Chanyeol's head, closing his eyes to block out the sun's rays.

They lay like that for too long. Chanyeol shifted to drop his weight onto Kris' chest instead of his own arms, followed by falling to the side to lie beside him. He nestled into Kris' shoulder, crossing his eyes to stare at Kris' tattoo.

“Chanyeol, I'm thirsty.”

Chanyeol groaned and nuzzled further into Kris' skin. “Can't you drink from the lake?”

“Come on, let's go back to the house.”

“Fine.” Chanyeol stood up, reaching down to give Kris a hand up. Kris took it, keeping his hand in Chanyeol's as they started back up the hill. Chanyeol trailed behind, his fingers loose around Kris' knuckles.

“Are you upset?” Kris asked.

“Yes.”

Kris' grip tightened slightly. “Chanyeol,” he murmured, stopping and turning around to face the blond boy. He stared at him intently. “Do you love me?”

“Yes.”

Kris blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting such a swift and decisive response. Obviously Chanyeol had thought about this before. He felt a pang — he had never realized, never considered it, that Chanyeol had loved him back longer than he had let on.

He gave Chanyeol's hand a tug and brought him into a hug, pressing Chanyeol's face into his shoulder. “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

Chanyeol squeezed his eyes shut and his fingers dug slightly into Kris' shoulder blades.

“Yes.”

*

The Kim girls brought their elbows up onto the table at the same time, making a synchronized thump that made Chanyeol jump. He was always creeped out at how they managed to do that. They were like twins straight from a horror movie sometimes. Jungah was holding a DVD case in one hand.

“We're watching this tonight,” she stated.

“Okay,” Jongin said disinterestedly, gnawing on his chicken. “That's nice.”

“You're all watching it with us,” Joonmyung added.

Jongin's head snapped up at that. “What? Why?” he whined through a mouthful of food.

“Jongin, that's disgusting. And because otherwise,” she narrowed her eyes at the three of them — Kris smiled charmingly and she rolled her eyes. “You'll be noisy and we won't be able to enjoy it properly.”

Jongin scoffed. “What, so you're inviting us to be noisy even closer to you?”

“Exactly. If you're noisy, you'll be within arm's reach.” The two of them broke into grins at the exact same second. Jongin swallowed and turned to Kris and Chanyeol.

“How do you guys feel about watching a movie?”

*

After finishing an entire bag of popcorn by himself, Chanyeol's eyes promptly gave up on that whole staying open thing and his head fell into Kris. Kris glanced down at him and casually raised his arm, dropping it on the back of the couch behind Chanyeol's shoulders. Chanyeol hummed, closing his eyes properly and paying attention to only the sound of the movie. Kris was warm beside and around him.

 

 

When the movie finished, they each drifted dozily off to their rooms, murmuring goodnights and dragging their feet. Chanyeol and Kris trailed behind, fingers linked loosely, unconsciously.

“Goodnight,” Chanyeol mumbled sleepily when they reached the top of the stairs, pressing a silent kiss to Kris' jawline once before instantly turning and pushing into his own room. He pulled off his clothes and dumped them on the floor, falling into bed with a flumpy 'plop'. He curled in on himself, eyes flying open when he felt another body slide under the blankets beside him.

“Hey—” he started in surprise, cut off when Kris grabbed his face and slammed their lips together, leg creeping over Chanyeol's hip. Chanyeol hissed in a breath of surprise, quickly grasping the situation and hauling Kris in closer. They rolled in the sheets until Kris was lying on top, blankets twisted around their waists. Chanyeol pulled his head back, retreating into the pillows. “Wait, wait. Stop.”

“What?” Kris asked breathlessly, propping himself up on his elbows. His hair flopped over his face. Chanyeol pouted.

“This is indecent. You haven't even proposed.”

Kris stared at him. “I don't even know how to respond to that.”

Chanyeol grinned and pecked his nose once, twice, then threw his arms around Kris' neck and thrust his tongue into his mouth. Kris responded with a slight moan, pushing his hips down to line their bodies flush.

“I wish,” he grumbled between kisses, marking wet patches across Kris' face and down his neck, “I could… at least… have been loud… our first time…”

Kris pulled back again, looking at him with eyes bright and hopeful, but slightly reserved - as though he was worried about overstepping a boundary. “How far were you thinking of going?” he whispered fiercely.

Chanyeol wrapped his legs around Kris' waist and sat up, ending up in his lap. “Kris Wu,” he growled, “You come into my bed after that fucking bullshit you dump on me this afternoon and don't even—” he cut himself off and frowned. “In any case, don't even think about leaving before third base.”

Kris glanced at the wall that separated them from Jongin. “Third base it is, then,” he whispered, giving Chanyeol one lingering kiss. “You're right, it would be nice to be alone for our first time.”

And he disappeared beneath the sheets.

*

They sat, in t-shirts and boxers, side-by-side on the verandah, while Kris smoked and Chanyeol didn't. His knees were separated, his fingers twisting between them. Kris tapped out a rhythm on his shoulder.

“So… when would that happen?” Chanyeol asked dully.

“Hm?” Kris turned to look at him, smoke drifting lazily from between his lips — like Chanyeol's cock had done when he came, hot and hard, down Kris' throat.

Chanyeol looked back down at his hands. “Our first time. Because. It's not like. We'll be alone. Anytime between now and. Going back to Korea.”

There was a long silence before Chanyeol heard Kris sigh, and his arm suddenly felt heavier on his shoulders. He shifted. Kris was gazing at the mountains with his brow creased.

“Chanyeol,” he said, and his voice cracked. “Trust me, just trust me. I'll… work something out.”

“You don't even know what you're doing,” Chanyeol muttered, bowing his head further. “You have no fucking idea. You're just messing around, playing with me…” he trailed off, not entirely sure where he was going with that train of thought. Kris had nothing to say in response.

“I love you,” Chanyeol complained, pulling his knees up to his chin. “And I kind of wish you still didn't know that.”

“Yeah,” Kris sighed, and Chanyeol squeezed his eyes shut.

“But the thing is…” Kris continued, flicking his butt over the railing, “I… I really love you too. And I just… couldn't miss this,” he waved at the scenery, “opportunity.”

Chanyeol pressed his eyelids more tightly closed and nodded.

He could understand that.

*

Three days later, their inevitable return from Canada was approaching too quickly. Chanyeol squirmed impatiently while Kris laughed at something irrelevant with Monggu on his lap. Jongin laughed back, boring, irrelevant, and Chanyeol sprang to his feet. His sudden movement scared Monggu onto the floor. Excellent.

“You okay?” Jongin grinned, apparently unconcerned at Chanyeol's body spontaneously doing unexpected things.

Chanyeol hauled Kris off the couch. “We'll be right back,” he announced loudly.

Jongin shrugged, accepting Monggu's indignant kisses. “It's like two hundred degrees out there, and Jungah's almost done with afternoon tea. I'm not moving.”

Chanyeol pretended that wasn't fabulous news. “Won't be long,” he said brusquely and pulled Kris out the door.

Kris followed willingly as Chanyeol hurried down the hill, checking over his shoulder every two seconds to see if they were out of sight of the full-wall window yet.

“This is far enough,” he said finally, pulling Chanyeol sideways behind a tree. Chanyeol promptly shoved him into it, smashing their bodies together and kissing him senseless.

“Chanyeol,” Kris laughed, sliding his hands up Chanyeol's shirt, “Calm down.”

“Don't fucking tell me to calm down,” Chanyeol snapped, hiking Kris' shirt up to his neck and palming his chest. Kris moaned. “I haven't kissed you since yesterday morning,” he growled, “And we only have two more days here.”

“Point,” Kris admitted, tipping his head back and swallowing as Chanyeol dragged his tongue up his throat. “Very good point.”

“Too much talking, not enough kissing,” Chanyeol muttered, licking at Kris' teeth.

“Hm,” Kris hummed in agreement, pulling Chanyeol closer by his hips.

“Shit,” Chanyeol gasped, rolling up into Kris' groin. He loved Kris so much and he wanted him so badly and had no idea how long they kissed like that for, but it wasn't enough, it was never going to be enough. Tongues and hands were everywhere, their feet slipping on the tree roots just for their bodies to meld back together, blood was rushing in Chanyeol's ears—

“Ummmm.”

Their reactions were opposite and instantaneous. Kris froze dead still and Chanyeol rocketed backwards, jumping out of his skin. Their heads whipped around, panting heavily, lips swollen, eyes like startled rabbits.

“Um.” Jongin said again. “There's. Shaved ice and. Watermelon. Up at the house. When you're. Ready. I guess.”

He turned and hiked back up the hill, leaving Kris and Chanyeol staring after him. Nature cheerfully refused to be silent in the distance between them.

“Oh my god.”

“Chanyeol—”

“Oh my god.”

Chanyeol was trembling uncontrollably when Kris stepped forward to wrap him in his arms, stroking his hair comfortingly. “Chanyeol, hey, it's gonna be okay.”

“Shit, oh my god,” Chanyeol sobbed into his neck.

*

“Chanyeol! Your ice is melting already!” Jungah yelled as they stumbled across the verandah.

“Oh… yeah, thanks,” Chanyeol responded vaguely, sitting down at the table where his place had been set. Kris silently dropped into the seat across from him, downing his ice tea in one go. Jongin steadfastly refused to look at either of them. The air was stony.

“Did something happen?” Joonmyung asked.

“No,” three young men chorused emphatically in unison.

*

“Jongin…”

“Guys, just… you don't have to explain.”

“Jongin, we really…”

“It's none of my business, just… leave it.”

There was a pause.

“But Jongin—”

“Look,” Jongin turned around to stare at them, standing awkwardly side-by-side like scolded puppies. “I really… really don't care what you guys do. Okay?” his lips tightened. “I don't need to know. I don't want to know. Do whatever you want.” He stood up and pushed past them, back to the safety of his sisters' obliviousness.

*

Chanyeol tiptoed across the hall and slid into Kris' bed, curling into his chest. He didn't want to fool around tonight. He wasn't even remotely horny. They only had this night and the night after before they had to go back home — only two more opportunities for him to wake up to the rise and fall of Kris' chest as he breathed, the flutter of his eyelashes as his lids opened, the gentle curve of his lips when he saw who was lying beside him. He needed it. He needed every memory.

Kris shifted and gently touched his face. “Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol ran his finger down Kris' nose. “Yeah?”

Kris sighed with closed lips. “If I told you everything will be completely fine, would you believe me?”

Chanyeol kissed his cheek. “If I told you that I would wait for you — for as long as it took for that to happen - would you believe yourself?”

Kris chuckled and kissed the top of Chanyeol's head, nuzzling into his hair. Chanyeol snuggled back, allowing himself to drift off to sleep-

“Chanyeol?” Kris whispered again, just as Chanyeol was slipping out of consciousness.

“What?”

“Everything is going to be completely fine.”

“Everything is going to be great,” Chanyeol retorted sleepily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
